Living History with Mat McLachlan

Historian Mat McLachlan brings Australian history to life in this engaging, educational and entertaining podcast. From the ancient age to the modern world, take a trip through time with Living History!

Australia and the American Civil War - Interview with Dale BlairHistorian Dale Blair joins Mat to discuss Australia's intriguing links to the American Civil War, and the extraordinary connection between the city of Melbourne and the CSS Shenandoah, a Confederate raider.
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How to Research an Australian SoldierMat gives you tips and tricks to find everything you need to know about an Australian soldier who served during the First World War.
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War Stories: Afghanistan Veteran Megan ColeMat interviews former RAAF sergeant Megan Cole about her experiences as a 'new Anzac', part of the current generation of military personnel who are carrying on the legacy of the Anzacs.
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How to Visit Gallipoli (Part 2) - Interview with Peter HartIn the second episode of our Gallipoli special, historian Peter Hart joins Mat to discuss his favourite sites at Gallipoli, and to give you tips and tricks for walking Australia's most famous battlefield./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/8798651

How to Visit GallipoliJoin Mat as he details the logistics of visiting Gallipoli - how to get there, where to stay, and how to walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs.
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Lost Tanks of Bullecourt - Interview with Richard OsgoodArchaeologist Richard Osgood joins Mat to discuss his recent excavation of the Bullecourt battlefield, searching for evidence of the tanks that attacked alongside Australian troops on April 11, 1917./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/8585570

World War I: Behind the LinesJoin Mat as he explores key sites from behind the old front lines of the First World War. In this exclusive documentary, Mat explores headquarters where generals planned battles, an underground city covered in WWI graffiti, an improvised studio where thousands of soldiers were photographed, an unusual military cemetery and a partly destroyed chateau that once housed wounded soldiers./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/8553920

North Africa Campaign - Interview with James HollandMat speaks to James Holland, one of the world's foremost authorities on WW2, about the significance of the North Africa campaign and Australia's role in defeating the German and Italian armies./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/8479223

Anzac Day Update, the Last Dambuster and more!Mat gives an update on important developments in history and remembrance, including changes to the Anzac Day dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux, the search for unknown soldiers, the importance of Gallipoli, the last Dambuster, US soldiers awarded the Victoria Cross and more./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/8390474

How to Visit the Western FrontMat takes you on a journey through the battlefields of France and Belgium, as he explains how you can visit the iconic battlefields of the Western Front./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/8217074

Remembrance Day at Villers-BretonneuxMat recounts his experiences of commemorating the 100th anniversary of Remembrance Day at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux in France./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7524884

Australian War Memorial - Roger Lee, Karl James & Aaron PegramMat joins a panel of three of Australia's leading military historians, Drs Roger Lee, Karl James and Aaron Pegram, for a special episode from the Australian War Memorial. Topics discussed include the nature of commemoration, the Anzac centenaries, the 75th anniversaries of WW2, returning to civilian life after war and the future of remembrance in Australia./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7267442

REVISIT: WW2 Prisoners of WarA revisit of an episode from earlier in the season when Mat spoke to Professor Christina Twomey about WW2 Prisoners of War and her book, 'The Battle Within'./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7215671

Montbrehain 1918 - Australia's Final BattleMat McLachlan brings you the history of the Battle of Montbrehain, the last Australian battle on the Western Front, which took place a century ago this week./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7137446

REVISIT: Interviews with WW1 & WW2 Veterans - Peter HartA revisit of an episode from earlier in the season, when historian Peter Hart joined us to discuss his lifetime's work of interviewing veterans from the First and Second World Wars./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7126993

1918: The Last Battle - Interview with Peter HartMat interviews Imperial War Musuem historian Peter Hart about the closing days of the First World War, and the crucial role played by Australian, British and American troops in defeating the German Army./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7117534

The Death of HitlerMat interviews French journalist Jean-Christophe Brisard about his work exploring Russian archives for evidence about the fate of Adolf Hitler. Over the course of several years, Jean-Christophe received unprecedented access to records, photographs and witness accounts that paint a vivid picture of Hitler's final days. And in a confronting twist, Brisard discovered samples of human remains that prove conclusively that Adolf Hitler died in Berlin in April 1945./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7078915

Beyond Combat - Interview with Tom RichardsonMat interviews historian Tom Richardson about Australian military operations away from the front line, as explored in his new book 'Beyond Combat'. /episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7048203

The Last Post - Interview with Emma CampbellMat interviews author Emma Campbell about her new book, 'The Last Post', which details both the history of this iconic bugle call and its roll in the daily commemorative service at the Australian War Memorial. The book also brings to life the story of many of the Australian men and women who were killed during wartime, and whose names on the Roll of Honour form the backdrop to the service at the War Memorial./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7024755

Remembering the Myall Creek Massacre - Interview with Jane LydonMat interviews Professor Jane Lydon about her new book, 'Remembering the Myall Creek Massacre', which sheds new light on one of the most infamous chapters of Australian colonial history./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/7008427

The Bulldog Track - Interview with Peter PhelpsMat speaks to veteran Australian actor Peter Phelps about his new book, 'The Bulldog Track'. The books tells the story of Peter's grandfather, who endured a torturous trek along a track even longer and tougher than Kokoda, to escape the advancing Japanese in 1942./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/6942646

Carpathia - Interview with Jay LudowykeMat interviews Dr Jay Ludowyke about her new book, 'Carpathia', which tells the intriguing story of the ship that rescued the Titanic survivors./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/6837860

Murder at Dusk - Interview with Ian W. ShawMurder at Dusk is a new book by historian Ian W. Shaw about the 'Brownout Strangler', a serial killer who terrorized Melbourne in 1942. In this interview, Mat and Ian explore life in wartime Melbourne, and the social impact of the arrival of hundreds of thousands of US troops on a conservative Australia./episode/index/show/livinghistory/id/6724307